Reuters several days ago carried Polish reports of a large cat roaming the countryside and killing farmer’s pigs in the vicinity of the town of Opole in Upper Silesia. A brief glimpse of the predator was captured by a local on his cell phone camera. Reportedly, hair found at some of the kills was analysed and identified as that of a snow leopard (Panthera uncia).

Residents in south western Poland are living in fear of a mysterious predator blamed for attacking and killing livestock over the past few days.

The animal is thought to be a rare snow leopard. It’s has been sighted numerous times around Opole and has even been recorded on a mobile phone camera by a resident of Biala village. At another location, a driver informed the police that a big cat had jumped over his moving car while chasing a deer.